Something Worth Fighting For
by Penn Gwynn
Summary: My first FFVII fic, this deals with the part at the very end of the second disk where everyone except for Cloud and Tifa go off to find what they're truly fighting for. What you never knew that happened...
1. Chapter 1: Barret

Something Worth Fighting For

Chapter 1

Barret

            When Cloud Strife had decided that everyone should go home and try to discover what they were truly fighting for, there was but one thing for Barret Wallace to do. He went home to his daughter Marlene.

            The word 'home' brought about controversial feelings, though. Barret wasn't sure if he even had a home. He had been born in Corel Village, but when the Mako Reactor had exploded, his wife had been killed, and he had been pronounced a failure and an outcast. He had been living in the industrial city of Midgar ever since, in the secret basement of Tifa Lockheart's _7th Heaven _in the Sector 7 Slums, which had become the headquarters for the underground resistance movement AVALANCHE. He became a recluse from the world, appearing only now and then to put an end to the devious actions of Shin-Ra, Inc. But with the arrival of Cloud, the mercenary, and the return of Sephiroth, the top ranking SOLDIER officer turned unmistakably evil, he had left it all behind.

            Marlene was not in the Sector 7 Slums, however. Shortly after a confrontation with several members of the Shin-Ra that had turned out to be a trap for the members of AVALANCHE (how long ago that now seemed!), Aeris Gainsborough had taken Marlene to her mother's home in Sector 5 for safety. Barret had never known Aeris very well, though he was grateful to her for protecting his daughter. Then again, Aeris was dead now, and there was no reason to dwell on the past.

            He walked through the streets of Midgar cautiously, always on his guard. He knew that Shin-Ra had promised a considerable amount of Gil to whoever brought them his head (was it just a few days ago that he and Tifa had nearly been executed?). Not much was left of Shin-Ra after their recent raid, but he was sure that there would still be guards and members of SOLDIER out there seeking to find him.

            Thus, Barret proceeded with caution. He bought a hooded cloak to hide his well-known features and then boarded the train to Sector 5. He avoided confrontation as much as he could, doing his best to control his frequent mood changes and sudden bursts of energy. He exited the train when it arrived in Sector 5, and with the help of some of the area's residents, he eventually found his way to Aeris's old home.

            The door opened before he could knock. The people inside seemed to have been expecting him.

            "DADDY!" Marlene yelled, flinging herself into Barret's arms. "I missed you!"

            "I missed you too, Marlene," he told the little girl, lifting her up holding her close.

            An aged woman approached them from inside the shadows of the house. Barret assumed that she was Aeris's mother. He set Marlene down and shook hands with the lady.

            His voice no more than a hoarse whisper, he said, "Thank you for taking care of my daughter, Mrs. Gainsborough."

            "It was my pleasure. Marlene is a very sweet little girl," she replied, smiling. "Come in. It is nice to have visitors. It has been so quiet since the passing of my daughter…"

            Following her inside, Barret stared at his shoes. He did not know what to say. He was not a very compassionate man and did not know how to react where Aeris was concerned. He knew it must have caused the lady a lot of grief when she learned about her daughter's fate. He was not the kind of man who could console her, though.

            Then again, Aeris had not actually been Mrs. Gainsborough's daughter. But she was the closest thing to a child the old woman had had. Neither should he be talking, for Marlene wasn't truly Barret's daughter either. She was the young child of his best friend Dyne, whom he had cared for ever since the latter's disappearance. They had all presumed Dyne dead. However, they had met again several days ago. It was then that Dyne truly died.

            Marlene did not know of Dyne. For a fleeting moment he considered telling her everything, but then he realized that she was too young to understand. And even if she did, it would probably cause her much distress to discover that he wasn't really her father. Therefore, he chose to keep the truth from her.

            Mrs. Gainsborough asked suddenly, "Would you like some tea?"

            "Huh? What?" Barret murmured, startled, realizing both she and Marlene had been staring at him for several minutes while he had been lost in thought.

            "I asked," the woman repeated, "if you would like some tea."

            Gruffly, he accepted, in his awkward manner. He and Marlene sat down at the living room table while Mrs. Gainsborough went into the kitchen, filled the kettle with water and put it on the stove. She then opened one of the cupboards to try to find some treats for her guests. After a few moments, she found some cookies. Arranging them neatly on a plate, she set them on the table and returned to the kitchen, where the kettle was whistling. She poured the hot water into the teapot and added some fragrant tealeaves. Carefully, she set the teapot on a platter along with her best China teacups, and transported them to the living room, where she, too, sat down, and they all had tea together.

            The two adults conversed quietly, mainly on the topic of Marlene and both making sure to steer clear of the topic of Aeris's death. When she had finished her tea, Mrs. Gainsborough excused herself and went upstairs, leaving Barret alone with Marlene. He lifted up the little girl and set her on his lap, asking her about her stay with the kind old lady. She seemed to have enjoyed herself, and though he did not say so because that was simply not his nature, he was glad.

            He stayed for dinner and accepted Mrs. Gainsborough's invitation to stay overnight, but mostly Barret was thinking about the task at hand. Being together with Marlene again reminded him how much he loved her. She was the one thing keeping him alive these days. For a while he considered not returning to Cloud and the Highwind, wanting to stay with Marlene and live in peace. Shin-Ra was gone, his wife's death had been avenged, and he thought he had no real reason to risk his life fighting Sephiroth. One less member in Cloud's team didn't matter…did it?

            He thought the matter over again and again, and eventually, he kept getting at the same conclusion. One member _could_ make a difference. He could mean the difference between saving the world and causing its destruction at the hands of Sephiroth. If the latter came to pass, a lot of innocent people would die. People like Marlene.

            Marlene could die.

            And in the end, that was all that really mattered to him. Marlene's life was worth more to him than his own. If he had one chance to save that life, he would, even if there was the possibility that he might lose his own.

            He realized he had already made up his mind.


	2. Chapter 2: Red XIII

Chapter 2

Red XIII

            Red XIII had but one thing in mind when he was allowed to go free that day by Cloud: Cosmo Canyon, his heart's true home. Accompanied by Bugenhagen, they traveled home as quickly as they could. Once they arrived at the timeless village, Red XIII once again took on the name of Nanaki.

            When Bugenhagen and Nanaki returned, a grand celebration took place. There was a feast with many traditional delicacies—boar's head with apples, fried chocobo and many other specialties—and afterwards there was a ceremony that included dancing around the fire. Then the residents of Cosmo Canyon told stories, tall tales of dragons and heroes. It was a night for all to remember.

            Amid the celebration, Bugenhagen and Nanaki escaped to the observatory. At first Bugenhagen went up alone to check on the Huge Materia, and then he allowed Nanaki up as well. They stared at the model of the solar system, where the miniature Meteor was quickly approaching the minuscule planet Earth. Bugenhagen looked very concerned.

            "Nanaki," he whispered, "my time on earth is drawing to a close. I know that. I have accepted that. But with the approach of Meteor, even the lives of children are being threatened. This should not be so."

            "Grandfather?" Nanaki wasn't sure what the old man was getting at.

            Bugenhagen explained, "I will not be returning to the Highwind. I am too old and I will be of no use in your battle with Sephiroth. But will you be returning, Nanaki? Do you want to fight Sephiroth?"

            Nanaki carefully considered his options. 


	3. Chapter 5: Cid

Chapter 5

Cid

            When Cloud had first suggested that they all go home, Cid Highwind had not in the least bit felt pleased. He loved being aboard the Highwind and was not very eager to return to Rocket Town. He felt that, by leaving, he had severed all ties between himself and its other inhabitants. And now that the rocket was gone, it felt even more so.

            Yet still Cloud insisted, and grudgingly, Cid gave in. Sleeping in his own bed might do him some good. Thus, he began the trek westward, to the once-famous Rocket Town. He wondered if they would rename the village. They no longer had a rocket.

            When he walked into his house, Shera was surprised, but she smiled. She immediately walked over to the stove, before he would start cussing at her, and made him a cup of tea. She stood while he drank it all in one gulp, and then made excuses to leave. He asked her to stay.

            "#%$@! Shera, you saved our lives back there on that rocket," he declared. "Uhh…thanks…"

            Shera just smiled, turned back around and opened the door to leave. Again he insisted that she stay. This sparked her curiosity.

            "Cid," she asked, "why are you here?"

            So he told her. He told her everything, beginning with his adventures when he had first left Rocket Town, continuing on to the part where they met again in the rocket. He recounted their adventures when they returned to Junon Town to recover the fourth Huge Materia using the submarine. He told her of how they had gone to Cosmo Canyon, and how Bugenhagen had decided to accompany them to the City of the Ancients. He used words to illustrate their fears as they were forced to fight Diamond Weapon and several other bosses on their return to Midgar. Last but not least, he told her of how Cloud had instructed each of them to go home and find what they were fighting for.

            Shera was confused. "Then why, Cid, are you here? I thought you didn't…"

            Cid was confused too. Why had he come? Just recently he had discovered that he felt that Rocket Town was no longer his home. So why had he returned? Was it because of Shera? No, it couldn't be. #%$@! She had destroyed his dreams. Then again, he wouldn't be alive today if it wasn't for her.

            Why had he come?

            He tried to express his confusion to her, but he only ended up getting himself even more befuddled. Eventually she walked to the kitchen to make preparations for dinner, and he went into the backyard to get some fresh air.

            When Cid went back into the house, he found Shera cooking dinner busily. He was surprised. Had she always been this assiduous? Or had she changed? He didn't know. He walked up to her from behind and stared at her as if he had never seen her before.

"Shera," Cid said.

Startled, Shera turned around. "Cid? Are you alright?"

"Shera," he went on, "I have decided. I am going to return to the Highwind and battle Sephiroth."

"Alright…" she replied reluctantly.

"But promise me one thing," he pressed. "Promise me that when I return, you will marry me."

Shera opened her eyes wide in amazement, but Cid swept her into his arms and kissed her softly. Then, as suddenly as he had appeared, he left. That was enough of a touchy-feely experience for one day."


	4. Chapter 6: Vincent

Chapter 6

Vincent

            Just like Tifa Lockheart, Vincent Valentine no longer had a home to return to. Tifa, on the other hand, did have something to fight for. She stayed behind with Cloud because she loved him, though he knew she would never admit it to anyone. He knew it.

            His own true love was gone. He had avenged her death but it did not lessen the pain or even fill the depthless void. He still felt empty and alone, a brittle autumn leaf carried away by the wind, leaving past and roots behind with no real destination. It just flittered from place to place, from here to there, until eventually the winds would grow so fierce it would break into pieces.

            _Lucrecia._

            Even the whisper of her name sent pangs of pain and hatred into his chest. He longed for her, wanted to hold her in his arms once again and kiss her. He wanted to see her smile, to hear the joyous twinkle of her laughter. He wanted to stroke her hair, to touch her lips, but he couldn't. She was gone.

            So Vincent drifted around the continents like the autumn leaf, with no real destination in mind. Would he return to the Highwind when the day was over? He did not know. At that moment everything seemed meaningless.

            He ran into Wyverns once or twice but made quick work of them with his gun. Years ago he would have been thrilled by the chance to battle and it would have eased his pain in no time. But times had changed. He wasn't the man he used to be. At twenty-seven, he felt old and disheartened. He felt that there was no reason for him to stay alive.

            Eventually he came upon the cave where he had last seen beautiful Lucrecia. He didn't know if it was because of his own feelings at work without his mind's consent, the winds of fate or pure coincidence, but he came upon the cave nonetheless. He felt drawn to it, and at the same time he felt like it was trying to repel him. At last he overcame his fears and entered.

            Nothing had changed. Everything was still the same. Yet the whole cavern was filled with her fragrance. Vincent thought he could almost taste her. He closed his eyes, and even though he was a hardened man, he wept.

            When all his tears had been shed and he felt strong once again, he left the cave and went outside. He warmed his face in the light of the setting sun, wishing it were her hands that were warming him so. How he missed her…


End file.
